Hoodlums attack land protesters

BOGOR, West Java: Some 200 allegedly paid hoodlums attacked a group of senior residents and their family members while the latter was protesting insufficient compensation of their land in front of the marketing department office of the Danau Bogor Raya (Bogor Lake Side) housing complex here on Friday.

The families of 81-year-old Idris bin Muhali and a 68-year-old woman named Mulyana binti Asib bin Muhali demanded to see executives of PT Kendaga Kencana Indah, the developer of the housing complex, in a bid to settle the land dispute. The case is now tried in court.

A group of hoodlums, who came on a bus, a minivan and dozens of motorbikes, arrived at the scene at 3:30 p.m. and attacked the protesters. Idris and Mulyana immediately got fainted as the mobs started beating, kicking and harassing the protesters.

Saifulah, one of the family members, said some of the attackers were paid to disperse the protest.

"I recognized several of my Koran students among the attackers. They admitted to have been paid Rp 10,000 each by a staff of PT Kendaga, named Daman," the 63-year-old man said. (21/edt)